NEWS OF THE WEEK.
KING EDWARD, who left England for Marienbad on Tuesday, was met by the German Emperor at Cronberg, and spent a day with his nephew at Friedrichshof as the guest of Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse. Of the cordiality of his reception there can happily be no doubt; but inasmuch as the visit was arranged a couple of months ago, it cannot be regarded as having any immediate bearing on the European situation. The Kaiser, it is true, was accompanied by Baron Tschirschky, the German Secretary for Foreign Affairs ; and Sir Frank Lascelles, the British Ambassador, and Sir Charles Hardinge, the head of the permanent staff at our Foreign Office, were in attendance; but in the absence of Sir Edward Grey, who has laid down the lines of Anglo-German and Anglo-French policy with admirable precision, the meeting was divested of any serious political significance. At the same time, it is to be welcomed as a sign of improvement in our relations with Germany, national and dynastic, and to that extent must tend to relax international tension. The best thing about the incident is the composure with which it has been received by the European Press. Irresponsible publicists have indulged in a good deal of speculation as to the outcome of the meeting, but the semi-official German Press has in the main adopted a correct and conciliatory attitude, and Paris remains calm.
